2003 年 8 巻 1 号 p. 13-19
To clarify the possible role of tumor angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and microvessel density (MVD) were immunohistochemically examined in tongue squamous cell carcinomas as well as in normal tongue mucosa and squamous cell carcinoma-adjacent tongue mucosa. Immunoreactivity for VEGF was detected in epithelial cells of several nonneoplastic tongue mucosa tissues and most tongue squamous cell carcinomas, indicating that this angiogenic factor acted on endothelial cells via the paracrine mechanism. VEGF expression in squamous cell carcinoma-adjacent tongue mucosa was greater than that in normal tongue mucosa, and VEGF expression in tongue squamous cell carcinomas was much higher than in squamous cell carcinoma-adjacent tongue mucosa and normal tongue mucosa. Up-regulation of VEGF might be associated with neoplastic or malignant change of epithelial cells in tongue mucosal tissues. MVD in tongue squamous cell carcinoma was higher than that of squamous cell carcinoma-adjacent tongue mucosa and normal tongue mucosa, indicating increased demands for blood supply in the carcinoma tissues. The association of VEGF expression, MVD and clinicopathological parameters of tongue squamous cell carcinomas was not statistically obvious; however, VEGF expression was slightly larger according to T stages or nodal metastasis.
